Pet Insurance Calculator
Estimate a typical monthly premium for your dog's breed and age, then see how many years of premiums it would take to match the cost of one major vet bill. For the full decision framework, seeIs Pet Insurance Worth It?
How to use it: pick your dog's breed (or a size if unsure/mixed) and their age band, then hit estimate for a monthly premium and a break-even comparison against a common major vet bill.
Estimate only, based on 2026 industry-average pricing for accident-and-illness coverage. Your actual quote will depend on your insurer, location, and deductible — get a real quote to see your dog's exact number.
Estimate what coverage would cost for your dog
Premiums swing widely by breed, age, and location. Our calculator gives you a realistic range in about a minute — no email, no sign-up.
Open the pet insurance calculatorHow this calculator works
We start from MoneyGeek's 2026 average monthly premiums for accident-and-illness coverage (a 6-year-old dog, $5,000 annual limit, $500 deductible, 80% reimbursement) — using breed-specific averages for 78 breeds, since breed-linked health risk moves the price more than size alone, and a size-based average for other breeds. We then adjust for age: enrolling as a puppy is typically priced lower (no conditions on record yet), and senior dogs are priced higher (higher claim likelihood). The "break-even" estimate compares your annual premium to the cost of one moderate-to-major vet event — commonly cited ranges include $3,000-$7,000 for orthopedic surgery (like a torn ACL) and $5,000-$15,000 for cancer treatment — to show roughly how many years of coverage a single claim like that would offset.
How accurate is it?
This is an industry-average estimate, not a quote — real pet insurance pricing also factors in your ZIP code, chosen deductible, reimbursement percentage, and payout cap, none of which this calculator asks for. The breed and age adjustments are directionally solid (more claims history means higher price, which is well-documented across the industry), but the exact dollar figure is a starting point for budgeting, not a number to expect an insurer to match exactly. Getting an actual quote takes about as long as this calculator and removes all the guesswork.
Data sources
Breed and size cost baselines reflect 2026 industry-average pricing for accident-and-illness plans, consistent with the figures in our pet insurance cost by breed guide. Major vet event cost ranges are commonly cited figures for procedures like cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery and cancer treatment; actual costs vary significantly by region, provider, and case complexity.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my specific breed matter more than just my dog's size?
Because breed-linked health risk moves the price more than size alone does. We use exact breed averages where we've researched them (from our pet insurance cost by breed guide) rather than a flat size-based number, since a French Bulldog and a Labrador Retriever can be similar weight but have very different claim histories — brachycephalic breeds and certain large breeds with known joint or genetic conditions tend to cost more to insure than their size alone would suggest.
Why are puppies cheaper to insure than adult or senior dogs?
Because pet insurance works like other health-adjacent insurance: price is tied to claim likelihood, and a puppy has no conditions on record yet. Enrolling as a puppy (the calculator's 0.85x multiplier) locks in pricing before anything shows up that could later be excluded as pre-existing — this is the single biggest reason "wait until something happens" is the wrong strategy for pet insurance specifically.
What isn't included in this estimate?
Your deductible choice, reimbursement percentage, annual payout cap, and location all move a real quote up or down, sometimes substantially — this calculator gives you a reasonable starting number based on breed/size and age alone. It also doesn't include optional wellness/preventive-care add-ons, which some insurers sell separately and which raise the monthly price without necessarily changing the break-even math for a major illness or injury.
Is the break-even comparison realistic, or does it oversimplify things?
It's a deliberately simple framing to make a point, not a full financial model — real pet insurance decisions should also weigh your own savings buffer, risk tolerance, and whether you'd actually pay for major treatment out of pocket if uninsured (some owners wouldn't, which changes the calculus entirely toward insurance regardless of the break-even math). Our full write-up in Is Pet Insurance Worth It? goes through the fuller decision framework.
Should I get insurance even if I could technically self-insure with a savings account?
That's a legitimate alternative some owners genuinely prefer, and it can work if you're disciplined about actually building and not touching the fund — the risk is a major event happening before the fund is large enough, which is exactly the scenario insurance is designed to cover. The honest comparison isn't insurance vs. no plan, it's insurance vs. a dedicated, sufficiently-funded pet emergency account you won't dip into for other things.